Hearing on the Future of Social Security Numbers

• •The Social Security number was originally created in 1936 solely to track earnings and determine benefits.
• •SSNs are currently used as a primary identifier for employment, housing, and credit services.
• •Recent federal policy changes include removing SSNs from military IDs and Medicare cards.
• •Congress previously passed legislation to restrict federal agencies from mailing documents containing SSNs unless strictly necessary.
• •High-profile data breaches at organizations like Equifax, OPM, and Anthem have resulted in the theft of hundreds of millions of SSNs.
• •The Subcommittee is investigating the current process for victims to obtain a new SSN after theft, which is described as overly burdensome.
• •A specific case in Arizona was cited where a child was required to change their full name to qualify for a new SSN after theft.

The hearing explores potential policy shifts in how Americans prove their identity for financial and government services, which could eventually change how citizens interact with private businesses and federal agencies to prevent identity fraud.

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.